Tobacco-box



(No Model.)

J. LEWIS. TOBACCO BOX.

Patented Mar. 3, 1891.,

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS Lil UNITED STATES J OSEPII LEWIS, OF \VINSTED, CONNECTICUT.

TOBACCO-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,615, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed October 8, 1890.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH LEWIS, of \Vinsted, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tobacco-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to boxes for holding tobacco in plug or stick form mainly for chewing use; and it consists in a box of novel construction with attached knife and feeder for supplying the tobacco in cut portions or quantities as required, whereby the dirty practice of biting off a piece from the plug and passing the plug to others for furthing mouthing or biting is avoided, and the tobacco is kept clean, and when in the pocket free from exposure to perspiration from the body, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of my improved tobacco-box; Fig. 2, a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view, partly broken away and in section; and Fig. 4, a partly-sectional face view of the hinged handle portion of the knife which is used to slice or cut the tobacco.

A indicates the box part open at one end and of any desired size to contain a plug' or stick of tobacco. Said box part may be of thin cast metal or be otherwise made. It is constructed with a slot b in its top running from back to front to admit of the projection through it of the shank of a knob 0, attached to a follower or feeder B within the box part, which follower serves to feed the tobacco, as required to be cut up, to and =under a knife D at the front open end (1 of the box part, through which the tobacco is supposed to have been previously entered. This knife, which also when down serves as a lid to the open end (Z of the box part to keep the tobacco clean, and when the box is in the pocket free from exposure to perspiration from the body, is preferably made of steel. Said knife is pivoted at its one end near its bottom, as by pivot e, to one side of the open front of the box part A, and is lifted at its opposite end,

Serial No. 367,395. (No model.)

when it is required to enter the tobacco or to take a cut from it, by pushing the follower B forward and then bringing down the knife to make the cut, the knife when down resting on a stopfto keep it from further falling.

To provide for working the knife D and for looking it when closed as a lid down in front of the open end of the box part, it has jointed to it at its front endalaterally-swinging handle E, which may either be swung outward in line with the knife when it is required to work the latter, as shown in Fig. l, or be turned back to shut within a recess g in the side of the box part when the knife is down and the box part is required to be kept closed, said handle E when in the recess serving to lock the knife in its closed position. To hold the handle E in either of these two positionsthat is, open or cl osedit has a longitudinal slot h from its joint end 1' back, with two grooves 75 7c in the under side of one of its joint parts, and thestationary part of the joint attached to the knife is provided with a rounded projection Z on its face adjacent to the grooved face of said joint part of the handle. The pivot or joint pin m is only screwed into or made fast at or near its one end to one of the joint parts, or, in other words, applied so that by reason of the slot h the handle E admits of slightly springing to cause its projection Z to ride within the slot when the handle is being turned on its pivot, and so that when the handle is turned into line with the knife or into its closed position within the recess g the projection lwill snap into either one of the grooves k 712' and lock or hold the handle in either of such adjusted positions. The handle E, when down or closed within the recess g, lies flush with the side of the box part, so that it cannot he accidentally opened, and said side of the box part is provided with a depression n at the back end of the recess 9 for insertion of the thumb-nail when it is required to open or extend the handle.

Patent, is

1. The combination, with the open-ended box part having a recess in its side, of a pivoted knife adapted to work across or over the open end of the box part and having jointed to it at its free end a handle adapted to swing IOO into line with the knife or to shut down with- 111 the recess in the side of the box part, sentially as and for the purposes herein described.

23. In a box of the character herein specified, the combination, with the open-ended box part and its pivoted knife, of alongitndinally-slotted spring-handle at the free end of the knife adapted to open and fold, as described, and a joint connecting the knife and handle provided with a locking projection, and grooves adapted to hold the handle expended or folded, substantially as herein set ort 1. 

